Rail grinding machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1929 GHARLES PHOPLEY AT TOBNZ INVENTOR Feb. 2, 1932. a. P. HOPLEY 3,

RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOBN Feb. .2, 1932.

c. P. HQPLEY RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Filed May 1929 '3 Sheets-Sheet 5 W m i mira mm w .m mfl r wfl W w mm mm Patented Feb. 2, 1932 STATES CHAR-LES 1P. I-IOZPLEY, O'FMONTREAL,. QUEBEC, CANADA RAIL GRINDING MACHINE AppIicat'ion filed May 22,.

This invention relates to new and. useful improvements in grindmg-machines and particularly to machines for grinding rails. and the object of the inventionis to provide a machine which may be quickly and easily adjusted and controlled to grind a rail joint so that the surfaces thereof will present no protrusion which would interfere with the smooth running of tratlic over the said joint.

Another object is to provide a portable grinding machine of light construction which may be easily set up in position and, easily removed.

A still further object is to provide a grind-- ingi machine, in which the grindstone can be moved longitudinally, vertically and radial 1y without moving the carriage.

According to my invention, I provide a carriage mounted on rail wheels which may be clamped to the rail. The grinding ele' ment is mounted on the shaft of a motor which is secured to a support movable in the transverse direction of the rail. The support is secured to a bracket which may be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the rail. The-bracket in turn is secured to a bearing mounted on a screw which'when rotated moves the motor in the longitudinal direction of the rail. The carriage is so con structed, that the frame on one side of the carriage may be moved radially with respect to the rail to allow the grinding element to move over the curved top of the rail. Suitable steadying supports project outwardly from the carriage to steady the machine while in operation.

In the drawings which illustrate one form of my invention, v

Figure 1 is ront elevation of my improved type of grinding machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1..

Figure 3 is an end shown in Figure 1. I

Figure 4t is a sectional end elevation of the machine taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 and 12 designate the end hearings to which are pivotally attached the end frame members 13 and 14. The lower ends 15 of the View of the machine 1929. Serial No. 365,090.

bearings are bifurcated and extending through said ends transverse-1y of the rail 16 are the pins 17. To prevent rotation of the pins in the bearings dowel pins 18 pass through the heads of the pins into the bearings. One end 19 of the pin is threaded to receive a hand wheel 25 which is adapted to press the flanges of the rail wheel hereinafter described against the head of the rail to prevent the machine from moving in the longi- 9 tudinal direction of the rail. The rail wheels which are rotatably mounted on the pins are each made in two pieces 20 and 21. The part 21 is positioned between the sides 22 of the bifurcated end of the bearing and rests on the top surface of the rail. This part has a positioning flange 23 formed integral therewith. The other part 20 consists of a flange 24 rotatably mounted on the pin 17 outside of the sides 22 and adapted to be moved. into rail clamping position by the movement of the hand wheel on the screw. The bearings have each an upwardly projecting portion 26 havinga curved slot 27 therein, through which projects thethreaded end 28 of a pin 29 nonrotatably secured to the end frame. Mounted on each of the ends 28 and engaging with the threads thereof is the handwheel clamping member 30. It will be seen that the end frames may be moved on the pivot pins 31 connecting the end frames to the bearings and that they may be clamped in any position by means of the clamping members 30. The slots 27 are radially disposed to the centre of the pivot pins3l. The bearings 11 and 12 are each. provided with lugs 32 and 33 and these lugs, as shown to advantage in Figsl and 3, are connected by spacer bolts 34 which serve to hold the bearings a predetermined distance apart. Each of the bearings 11 and 12 is also provided with an additional lug 35 Y located between the lugs 32 and 33. This lug 35 has a vertically disposed boss 36 having a central threaded hole 37 through which a threaded support rod 38 may be moved. The rod has a hand wheel at the top 39 and a foot 40. The foot may be so adjusted that it will rest on the ground in proximity to the rail and may be adjusted in this position by turning the rod. At the end remote from the lugs 32 and 33. each bearing is also provided with a threaded boss 42 through which is extended a threaded rod 38 corresponding to the rods 38 previously described. The foot of this last mentioned rod contacts with the ground at the side of the rail opposite from the foot portions of the rods 38 passing through the lugs 35. A hand wheel is used for moving the rod in the boss.

Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings d4: formed in the end frames and extending between and through same is the threaded shaft 45. This shaft may be prevented from longitudinal movement by means of the nuts $6. One end 47 of the threaded shaft is provided with an operating handle 48. Vertically spaced bolts 49 pass through the end frames and are adapted to clamp them against the spacing tubular members 50 to hold the frames a predetermined distance apart. Also extending between the frame members and in vertical spaced relation are the guide members 51. Slidably mounted on the guide members are the bearings 52, which are formed integral with a horizontally slidable support 53. The support 53 is provided with an out wardly extending bracket 55 having a threaded bore through which the shaft 45 extends. By rotating said shaft 45, the support 53 may be adjusted horizontally between the end frames 13 and 14 and in the longitudinal direction of the rail.

A vertically adjustable motor bracket 56 is slidably secured to the support 53 by any suitable means such as the retaining plates 56a shown in Fig. 2. This bracket 56 is provided with a recess 56?) for receiving a lug 57 projecting inwardly from the support 53, A threaded shaft 54: passing through the lug 57 and through a threaded opening in the upper portion of the bracket 56 affords means for adjusting said bracket vertically with respect to the support 53. This shaft 54 is provided at its upper end with an operating handle 54a. The motor bracket 56 is formed with a horizontal bottom surface to which the motor base 59 is slidably attached in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of the retaining plates 59a. The base 59 is formed with an upwardly projecting lug 60 received in a recess 60a formed in the bracket 56. This lug 60 is provided with a threaded opening 62 through which extends a spindle 61. The spindle 61 is rotatably carried by the bracket 56 and is provided with an operating handle 63. The spindle 61 is held against longitudinal movement with reference to said bracket 56 so that by operating the handle the motor base 59 together with the motor G l may be conveniently and quickly shifted to or from the rail. The grinding element inclicated at 64a is suitably secured to the armature shaft 65 of the motor 6 1. Y

Secured to one of the end frames, is the bracket 66, and pivotally attached thereto by the jaw and pin connection 67 is the rod 68.. The other end of the rod is secured to a bifurcated bracket having a shouldered pin 69 and rotatably mounted on said pin is the flanged wheel 7 O which engages with the rail in proximity thereto. The Wheel is secured to the pin by means of the nut and washer 71 and 72. This Wheel assists in supporting the device while moving the grinding machine in the longitudinal direction of the track.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the grinding element may be moved in the vertical and horizontal direction towards and away from the rail as well as having means to move the element in the longitudinal direction. As is well known, the topof the rail is curved or cambered and to make provision for grinding this curved surface, the end frames are pivotally mounted on the wheel bearings. The end frames must be moved in unison to swing the grinding element with any degree of accuracy and to accomplish this, a shaft 7 3 is provided extending through the end frames and between same. This'shaft is provided at one end with a quadrant 7 4 having worm teeth 75 which engage or mesh with a worm 76 rotatably mounted on suitable bearings 77 and operated by a handle 78. On each end of the shaft 73 is a pinion 7 9 which meshes with teeth 80 formed in the upper edge of the portion 26 of the bearings.

It will be seen that by rotating the worm through the medium of the handle attached thereto, the shaft is rotated thereby turning the pinions which engage with top portions 26 of the hearings to turn the end frames on their pivots and this movement alters the position of the grinding element so that it may be adjusted to suit the rail curvature. It is preferable that the operating handle for moving the device longitudinally of the rails and also for moving the frames radially in the pivots is positioned at one end of the device to facilitate operation of same.

The parts shown are for illustrative purposes only and it will be readily understood that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. The device is simple to operate and provides a machine which may be easily manufactured to grind all the necessary surfaces of the rail. The device is light in construction and may be quickly placed onto or taken off the rails when so desired. It is easily transported to any desired location for grind ing purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a railway track grinding machine, end bearings, rail wheels rotatably mounted in said bearings, end frames pivotally secured to the bearings, guide bars extending beween the frames, a support slidably mounted on the guide bars, means to move the support between the frames, a motor bracketslidably and adjustably secured to the support, a motor slidably secured to the bracket and means to move the motor transversely of the rails.

2. In a railway track grinding machine, end bearings, means for holding the bearings apart, rail wheels rotatably mounted in the bearings and resting on one of the rails, end frame members pivotally secured to the bear ings, means to rotate the end frame members about their pivots, a grinding element, means for rotating said element, and means for adjustably supporting the grinding ele ment between the frames.

3. In a railway traclr grinding machine, a pair of spaced end bearings, rail wheels rotatably mounted therein, said wheels having means to clamp them to one of the rails, end frames pivotally secured to the bearings, grinding means adjustably secured between the frames and movable in the longitudinal and transverse direction of the rails and also movable in a vertical direction toward and away from the rail and means to rotate the frames in unison on their pivots. V

4:. In a railway track grinding machine, a pair of spaced end bearings, rail wheels rotatably mounted in the bearings and adapted to be clamped to one of the rails, end frames pivotally secured to the end bearings, means 7 to hold the bearings in spaced relation, a

grinding element for the rails adjustably suspended between the end frames, means to move the grinding element in the longitudinal direction of the rails between the end frames, means to move the grinding element in the transverse direction of the rails and means to move the grinding element in a vertical direction towards and away from the rails. V

5. In a railway track grinding machine, a pair of spaced bearings, rail wheels rotatably mounted therein and adapted to be clamped to the rails, adjustably steadying means secured to the bearing and adapted to contact with ground on either side of the rails, a pair of end frames pivotally secured to the bearings, means to move the end frames simultaneously about their pivots, and a grinding element adjustably suspended between the end frames.

6. In a railway track grinding machine, a pair of spaced bearings end frames pivotally secured to said bearings, rail wheels rotatably mounted in the bearings and adapted to be clamped to one of the rails, guides extending between the frames, means to move the end frames, in unison, on their pivots, a grinding element adjustably suspended on the guides and a supporting wheel held in a cantilevered position from one of the frames to steady the machine by engaging with the other rail.

7. In a railway track grinding machine, a pair of rail wheels rotatably secured to the bearings and engaging with one of the rails of the track, means to hold the bearings a predetermined distance apart, an end frame pivotally secured to each of the bearings, means secured to the frames and engaging with the bearings to move the said frames in unison about their pivots, guides between the frames, a support slidably mounted in the guides, means to move the support towards and away from the frames, a bracket slidably secured to the support, means to move the bracket in a vertical direction with respect to the support, a motor driven grinding element slidably attached to the bracket in the transverse direction of the track and means engaging with one of the rails and secured to one of the frames to guide the machine on the track.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES P. HOPLEY. 

